During the week from 21 October until 25 October the International Projects Unit of the International Relations and Foreign Students Department, Riga Technical University, hosted an Erasmus+ Staff Week, making it the first time since the new Erasmus+ project commenced in 2015 when a staff week is organized for staff members from RTU partner universities outside the European Union. The 1st International Projects Unit’s Staff Week welcomed guests from Algeria (Université Abdelhamid ibn Badis Mostaganem and Université Batna 2), Libya (University of Tripoli), Jordan (Princess Sumaya University for Technology), Egypt (Nile University), Iran (Amirkabir University of Technology), Mexico (Colegio Universitario De Yahualica), Argentina (Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero), Bosnia and Herzegovina (International University of Sarajevo) and Kosovo (University of Pristina).

Throughout the week, the visiting staff members participated in numerous workshops dedicated to the development of the new Erasmus+ KA107 International Credit Mobility project proposal to be submitted in February 2020 as well as shared their ideas for several Erasmus+ KA2 Capacity Building project initiatives. Professors from Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran and Jordan gave guest lectures to RTU foreign students, covering different topics ranging from architecture to textile engineering. The staff members were introduced to RTU facilities during a Campus Tour and individual meetings were held with the Faculty of Architecture, Department of Quality Management and Document Processing as well as other structural units of RTU. This week also gave a great opportunity for partners to review the cooperation agreements, many of which were updated and extended.

The International Projects Unit would like to express gratitude to all participants of the Staff Week as well as RTU colleagues who organized and supported the activities throughout the week. We hope that this Staff Week will be the start of an annual tradition, hosting more and more of RTU’s partners from outside Europe each year.